Fueled by new flavors and supported by high-quality equipment, the cold and frozen category shows unlimited potential. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor The cold facts go like this: with margins from tobacco and fuel still lagging headed into the summer of 2012, the booming frozen beverage segment has been a pleasant top-performing surprise for convenience

Swisher Sweets introduces its e-cig products to c-store retailers. Swisher Sweets entered the electronic cigarette and cigar business this summer season. The company plans to begin selling its line of e-cigs on Aug. 1 this year, giving consumers an alternative way to smoke Swisher’s products. Murphy Oil, Hess and several other major c-store retailers plan

Scripto makes advances in the lighter category as it releases the new, innovative 2in1 Dual Flame Utility Lighter for c-store retailers. The product features two flames in one lighter. With the switch of a button, consumers can choose to light a standard flame or a wind resistant flame, allowing more flexibility for all occasions. The

Commercial RYO machine operators must comply with the new rules effective immediately. On Friday, July 6, President Barack Obama signed the transportation bill, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, into law. The bill included a provision that defines commercial RYO machine operators as tobacco manufacturers under federal law. This means

House members voted 373 to 52 in favor of the bill and Senate members voted 74 to 19 to pass the legislation. On Friday, June 29, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate voted to pass a transportation bill that included commercial RYO regulation, the National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) reported. The

“Cigarette butt studies conducted in London, Ontario show the consumption of contraband cigarettes at 20% and at local high schools, as many as 35% of cigarettes smoked by youth were illegal,” says CEO of OCSA. The Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) is pleased to recognize the work and support of all members of the London

cciPanel gives retailers and marketers the scoop on what are today’s tobacco buying trends. Management Science Associates (MSA), Paradigm Sample and Convenience Store Decisions teamed to present a free Webcast Thursday afternoon to discuss the habits of tobacco consumers at U.S. c-stores. The Webcast will be archived and available for all people at csdecisions.com later

“We believe the soft padded electronic cartridge is the most significant innovation to e-cigarettes, since their invention and introduction to the U.S. marketplace,” says CEO of Vapor. Vapor Corp., a U.S. based electronic cigarette company, filed a non-provisional patent for a “Padded Cartridge For An Electronic Cigarette Apparatus” on June 5, 2012. The patent was

Management Science Associates (MSA) and Paradigm Sample, in partnership with Convenience Store Decisions, are teaming up to offer a free Webcast tomorrow that will examine the purchasing habits of adult tobacco consumers at U.S. convenience stores. The tobacco industry continues to face challenges on multiple fronts, namely ongoing legislative initiatives and the ever-present high rate

Convenience store operators are enjoying the growing popularity of smokeless tobacco products, but they are also being forced to keep a wary eye on federal and local regulations. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor Is the smokeless tobacco product category, which includes moist snuff, snus and dissolvables, the lifeboat that convenience store retailers hope it will

Logic Technology is raising the stakes in the electronic cigarette category by obtaining a patent that tracks product usage. The patent covers a unique digital counter the lets the user know precisely how many puffs are remaining in the e-cigarette, Logic CEO Eli Alelov told Convenience Store Decisions. “This is new technology that will change

While flavored and pre-priced cigar sales are booming, FDA’s pending regulation of the category could upset trends and profits. by Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. Tedeschi Food Shops does a strong cigar business, and with 3-4 feet of space reserved for cigars on the back bar, consumers take notice. Sales on cigars were up for the

Tantus Tobacco, a company dedicated to bringing high-quality, value-priced filtered cigars, cigarettes and pipe tobacco to the market, has added tipped cigarillos to its product line. Red Buck Tipped Cigarillos are available in Pipe Tobacco, Wine Pipe Tobacco, Sweet and Wine. Richwood Grooves Tipped Cigarillos are available in Pipe Tobacco and Wine Pipe Tobacco. For

In recent years, roll-your-own tobacco machines have surfaced at various retail locations putting convenience stores at a competitive disadvantage on price. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor America, and in particular its lawmakers, remains caught in a love-hate relationship with tobacco. That push-pull has resulted in very well-publicized attempts to dissuade Americans from using tobacco, or

Although the electronic cigarette category in the U.S. is barely five years old, a dizzying number of brands are vying for the attention of retailers—and more are entering the fray just about every day. By Marilyn Odesser-Torpey, Associate Editor In a report released in May, UBS Investment Research likened the chaotic e-cigarette category to the e-commerce

MSA and Paradigm Sample, in partnership with Convenience Store Decisions, examine the purchasing habits of adult tobacco consumers at U.S. convenience stores. By Trish Temmerman, Management Science Associates, and John Lofstock, Editor. The tobacco industry continues to face challenges on multiple fronts, namely ongoing legislative initiatives and the ever-present high rate of taxation. These persistent

Industry veteran Roger Grogman joins the Illinois firm to help guide its expansion strategy into new sales channels. Eco-Cigs, Inc., a leading electronic cigarette company, has hired Roger Grogman as their Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Grogman will be responsible for the expansion and growth of the Eco-Cigs brands within opportunistic retail channels. “The

With various federal laws banning or limiting certain cigarette product advertising, cigarette packaging itself has become a commercially accepted form of advertising. By John Lofstock, Editor. In early April, the Village of Haverstraw, N.Y., adopted a first-of-its-kind ordinance in the U.S. that requires retailers to keep tobacco out of public view. To learn more about

Reynolds American Inc. aims to achieve market leadership through its new, online transformation strategy. Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) announced that its www.reynoldsamerican.com Website has added a new “Transforming Tobacco” section to inform visitors about the company’s strategic framework. “We find ourselves at RAI helping to resolve controversial issues on tobacco and advancing commercial objectives at

Altria releases a new smoking product that contains no tobacco. U.S. tobacco giant Altria Group Inc. moved into uncharted territory this week as it released the Verve: a tobacco-less nicotine product. The maker of Marlboro plans to launch a non-dissolving, lozenge-shaped nicotine disc called Verve in the next several days. It’s the latest advance by

A response to the recent misleading “Deadly Alliance” report implicating convenience stores. By Seth A. Mailhot, Special Counsel, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. This is the first of what will be a continuing series on the regulation of tobacco retailing. In future articles, I will address the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) regulation

Swisher International has introduced new Swisher Sweets Black Cigarillos with a dark maduro-like wrapper that delivers a distinctive, rich aroma as well as a slower-burning, smoother smoke. The convenient cigarillo size is ideal for today’s on-the-go lifestyles, offering retailers the opportunity to take advantage of strong consumer demand for a truly distinctive tobacco product. Exceptionally

Vapor Corp.’s Krave brand of e-cigarettes offers Krave1000 / Krave1001, a complete retail rack-ready, rechargeable e-cigarette program. Simple to use and simple to sell, Krave is a favorite among e-cigarette users for its taste and design. Krave1000 / Krave1001 is available in four varying nicotine levels and in tobacco and menthol flavors, along with starter

Separating nicotine from cigarettes and smoking could open new doors for tobacco. By Lou Maiellano. Imagine a natural ingredient so promising and intriguing that it is being clinically evaluated to address a variety of illnesses and conditions, including depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, Tourette syndrome, ADHD, anger management and anxiety. Think about it, an ingredient that would

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